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Friday, November 5, 2010

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Book Summery:

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs. -goodreads.com

Book Trailer:

Book Review:
When I first read a review of this book, I was intrigued. As more and more reviews came out, my interest grew. Until I finally had to read the story for myself, and let me tell you it's a hell of a good story. The town on Gentry is dark and mysterious. From page one, you can tell something isn't what it appears to be. The characters of this book really highlight the story. Mackie is an unusual main character. Apologetic for his very nature. He also has an air of mystery that surrounds him. The deeper Mackie delves into discovering his true nature, the more dangerous things get for the town. Emma, Mackie's sister, will literally do anything to keep him safe. Mackie's cast of friends are fiercely loyal as well as colorful. Rasputin, the town's most successful band holds an interesting link to Mackie. Last, but not least, Tate, who is sweet, tough and one-of-a-kind. Despite the wonderful cast of characters, what took my rating down to a 4/5 was Yovanoff's writing. Don't get me wrong, the tale is wonderful. However, Yovanoff's writing style seemed a bit dis-jointed, or choppy (if you will), to me. Some crucial elements were not fully explained or flushed out. This lead the reader to be confused at points. Despite this flaw, I was able to piece together the overall picture, which was a dark, creepy, but ultimately lovable tale.

Favorite Quote:

"The Morrigan was hugging herself, rocking back and forth. She leaned against me suddenly, resting her cheek on my arm. 'We love the town as best we can, and they love us back, although they don't always know they're doing it. But it isn't enough for my sister. She needs sacrifice. ' " (p. 119)